Seminole County Sports Hall of Fame names six Class of 2026 honorees

Seminole County’s Sports Hall of Fame put the spotlight on six people whose work reached far beyond trophies, with the Class of 2026 recognized May 7 at Lake Mary High School during the annual Night of Champions ceremony.

The county said the honorees represented several lanes of local sports life, including athlete, coaching, sportscasting and refereeing. Public attendance was encouraged, underscoring that the Hall of Fame has become more than a private banquet. It is a countywide celebration of the people who help define athletics across Seminole County schools and programs.

At the center of this year’s class was Jennifer Darty, whose story runs from Oviedo High School to Mercer University, then the College of Charleston, and back home to Seminole County. Darty graduated from Oviedo in 2006 after four varsity seasons in girls volleyball. She served as team captain and earned MVP honors, a foundation for the leadership role she now holds as Oviedo’s athletic director and girls volleyball coach.

Her college résumé added more weight to the selection. Darty earned Atlantic Sun All-Freshman Team recognition, Freshman of the Year honors and All-Academic honors, then later helped a College of Charleston team win a Southern Conference championship. Back at Oviedo, she has built one of the county’s most successful programs, with a 296-131 record and three state championships in 2013, 2018 and 2025.

Darty’s influence also reaches beach volleyball. Oviedo’s beach program began in 2015, and the school says it posted a 51-12 record over its first eight seasons. The team won conference championships in 2017, 2018 and 2019 and advanced to the FHSAA state tournament in 2023. Darty is also listed as club director of the Oviedo Volleyball Academy, extending her reach into year-round player development.

Seminole County says its Hall of Fame Committee was established in 1982 to honor athletes and contributors who made a difference in the county. Nomination rules require athlete honorees to be current or former residents at least 35 years old, while contributor honorees can include coaches, officials, administrators, financial supporters and media members. The Hall also recognizes legacy and inclusion categories, and county officials say character matters too, including sportsmanship and leadership.

That mix helps explain what this class represents. Seminole County is not just honoring wins. It is recognizing the coaches, officials and athletes who built the culture around those wins, and Darty’s career shows how one local athlete can grow into a program builder whose impact lasts for years.